She walked slowly, her fingers trailing behind her on the wall. The dust stirred up around her, almost like magic. Her green eyes stared in wonder at the curling yellowed wallpaper, at the creaking dust-caked floors, the claw marks on pretty much every surface, and the general everything of the mansion. She seemed to be in awe and wonder at the sheer energy that existed in the dead mansion.

"It needs work." Her voice was soft, almost silent. I inclined my head in agreement, not caring that she wouldn't see it. She would know, I just knew. We came across the hole Zack had been so gracious to make; I heard a soft 'oh' escape her pale pink lips.

"Careful around here, the floor is weak, obviously." I warned, I watched as he braid bobbed up and down as she nodded. Slipping in front of her, I showed her how to skirt around the hole. She glanced down once, but upon only being met with darkness, she shuddered and looked back up. I kept a hand on her arm to help her if she fell.

"Cloud…" She glanced around. It had only been an hour, and we were just getting to the second floor. I was back to trailing behind her.

"Hmmm?" I glanced over my shoulder at her.

"This place should be crawling with monsters…."

"And it is. They smell my friend on me, and thus leave us alone." She made the 'oh' sound again, and I inwardly smiled. No wonder the SOLDIERs were so protective of her, she was a jewel.

She turned around suddenly, her pink dress flaring out at the bottom and then twisting around her legs as she did so. Her green eyes found mine. "And where is this friend?" She sounded… curious at best.

"Here and there." Her eyebrows furrowed, and she seemed to be looking past my eyes, looking at I guess would be my lifestream, as if… she was trying to understand me.

"Why is… that you can't speak but for riddles? Can't you just tell me?"

"It depends on what you want to know." She pursued her lips together and exhaled heavily through her nose, as if somewhat annoyed. Imagine that… a Cetra, annoyed! Now that's a funny thought.

"Everything." She finally spoke. Everything. Everything could be anything. Couldn't she be less vagu…. ah. That's the point she string to make. I guess I could play along… wouldn't hurt.

"Everything could be a lot." She hmmed as she turned back around, less swiftly, and started to explore again.

"Or not." She countered. "It could be very small."

"Aye, it could be." She stifled a giggle, and once again, I found myself inwardly smiling.

"Cloud," I kept my silence, waiting for the continuation of her words. "Who are you, really? You're a mystery to me, a book that I can't seem to open, let alone read. Sephiroth has the same difficulty, which is why he is so defensive to you."

"I believe we already spoke of this. When I know, I'd tell you. Besides, I think we spoke of this before too, everyone is entitled to our own secrets." She sighed, obviously not happy with my answer. She spun back around to face me again.

"But Cloud, some secrets need to be told. And I feel that there is more to you then meets the eye, you've proven that yourself. And furthermore, I feel that you know more about yourself than you think you do. Which, in any case, is pretty bad, because you should know about yourself more than you do another person."

"Hypocrite." I teased gently as I slid past her in the hall. It was strange feeling the planet's influence in her as we touched. It was an experience I had encountered before, when I made any contact with her, but this time, due to the narrow hall, I was pushed slightly against her. It felt like the parts of me that touched her were ignited, but not in a painful way. She seemed to have felt the strange burning sensation as I had, for she let out a small surprised gasp. I quickly finished sliding past her, and pretended I had felt nothing.

She called my name once she realized I planned to continue walking, with or without her. I heard her jogging to catch up with me, for she had fallen behind due to being in a stupor from the strange sensation. I felt her hand on my upper arm, and heard her softly speak my name. I stopped, and half turned to somewhat face her.

We stared. Neither of us spoke, and instead let the planet do that for us. Its connection between us was weaving, combining both of us in a sort of bond. It wanted us to be at the very least friends. And why shouldn't it? We were perhaps the only two in the world who would hear Gaia and her subconscious wishes. As it was now, it was speaking quiet little chants that were discernable.

"I wish I knew what made your gaze so sad." Aeris' voice was softer than ever, barely noticeable against the sounds that surrounded us, the sounds of the monsters. Somehow, her hand had found a place resting against my face. I couldn't find it to care. I was looking into her gaze, just as she was looking into mine. I was surprised to see sorrow echoed in her eyes. She felt sad, because I was.

I thought back to my earlier questions about her, particularly ones about the mansion. Sympathetic? No. Never. This woman was clearly empathic. Feeling what was clearly, and obviously what wasn't clearly, shown.

"So do I." I found the words leaving my mouth before I could stop them. But she didn't look to me with pity.

"I wish I could help." Her eyes echoed her longing to help me.

"You do, more than you know." Once again, I felt words leave my lips.

"Then show me!" Her cry echoed through the mansion. Obviously Aeris' empathy didn't extend as far as I had thought. Especially if she couldn't feel how just her presence seemed to help to sooth me.

"I wish I could."

"Maybe you could, if you told your secrets. I know you hold them, you've all but admitted it yourself, and maybe, the way to knowing, is to tell." I thought about it, and the planet seemed to influence my decision.